Mailbox and protective partition therefor



Dec. 30, 1952 s. BARLICK MAILBOX AND PROTECTIVE PARTITION THEREFOR Filed001.. 29, 1949 INVENTOR. L/ZM EXT 2216?? .iz vwa'f Patented Dec. 30,1952 MAILBOX AND PROTECTIVE PARTITION THEREFOR Sam Bar-lick, New York,N. Y.

Application October 29, 1949, Serial No. 124,377

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a tamper-proof mail box.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mail box whereinthe lock will be amply protected with heavy metal and will be encased byportions of the box to prevent access to the look from any of aplurality of directions from within or without the box, and wherein thelock element is heavily encased upon the cover.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a tamper-proofmail box for preventing access to the lock which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, compact, convenient to use,and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is aperspective view of the armor immediately surrounding the lock.

Fig. 2 is a Vertical sectional view of the mail box taken generally online 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a part of the mail box taken online 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the mail box taken generally online 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively vertical sectional views of modifiedforms of the mail box.

Referring now to the figures, It! represents a wall having a recess intowhich is fitted mail box I I embodying the features of the presentinvention. This mail box will lie in the recess and its front face willbe flush with the front face of the wall. The mail box is made of heavystock and has a rear wall portion l2, a bottom portion [3, a top portion[4 and side portions 16 and IT. The bottom portion l3 has a dependingflange l8 which is fixed in the wall face. The

box can be secured within the wall in any safe and secure manner.

Within the box are a plurality of bottom compartments [9 havingpartitions 2|. Extending across the front of the box is a hinge 22 towhich doors 23 leading to the respective compartments [9 are connectedin order that access can be had to the different compartments by theindividuals using the letter box. Above the hinge 22 is a top cover 24which is opened by the mailman to supply the different compartments I9of the box with the mail.

Upon the rear face of the cover 24 is a heavy socket 25 in which isfixed a lock 26. This socket has laterally extending top flanges 21 towhich a clamping plate 28 is connected by screws 29 to fix the lock 26in place within the socket 25. The lock has a latch member 3| which canbe projected upwardly into a recess provided on the top portion by adepending part 33 of the top portion and a depending member 34. In thecover 24 is an opening 35 through which a key can be extended for entryinto the lock 26.

On the opposite side of the lock is another key opening 36. The socket25 is made of heavy stock material or plate and has further flanges 31and 38 and 39 which have respectively openings 4|, 43 and 44 therein forreceiving screws or other attaching members for fixing the socket 25 tothe inner face of the cover 24.

In order that no one can gain access to the lock 26 from any of thecompartments 19 when their doors are open, there is provided within themail box, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 6 a thick double partitioncomprising walls 41 and 48 lying respectively at the opposite sides ofthe socket 25 and of the lock 26. These partition walls 41 extend thefull extent or height of the box and upwardly from the bottom portion l3thereof. These walls thus enclose the lock and prevent access theretofrom the inner compartments. The cover 24 has inwardly extendingpartitions 49 thereon which come into place when the cover is raised.

Referring now to Fig 5, the enclosure for the lock comprises two spacedwalls '5! and 52 which are connected together at 53 adjacent the hinge22. These walls 5| and 52 do not extend to the full bottom of the box.This provides for greater space in the bottom of the box.

In Fig. 6, a different construction is provided wherein a connectingwall is disposed between the partitions 41 and 48. This Wall isindicated at 54. It will be apparent that these walls in the variousforms of this invention cannot be easily penetrated to gain access tothe lock 26 from any one of the compartments l9. Full heavy and armoredWalls will thereby prevent the tampering with the lock. Furthermore, thelock itself is contained and supported upon a heavy armored socketbracket 25. The lock is protected from the top by the top portion M ofthe box and by the cement wall structure.

It will be apparent that the individual users of the mail box in openingtheir individual compartments I 9 will be deprived of access to the lock26.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of my invention, what isclaimed is:

A tamper-proof mail box comprising rear, top,

bottom and end walls adapted to fit Within a recess within a wallstructure, a hinge pin extending across the front of the box between theend portions, the said box being adapted to provide compartments for theindividual users of the mail box, individual doors pivoted upon thehinge pin and operable to close the several compartments in the bottomof the box ,a-main cover hinged upon the hinge pin and extendingupwardly therefrom to close the top of the box,

a lock fixed to the main cover and engageable' with the top portion ofthe box to secure the cover in an elevated position, lock protectivepartition walls disposed respectively on the opposite sides of the lockto prevent access to the look from any one of the compartments, a socketbracket of heavy material having laterally extending upper flanges andadapted to receive the lock, said socket having other flanges forsecuring the socket to the inner face of the main cover, and a clampingplate adapted to extend over the lock and secured to flanges of thesocket bracket for fixing the look in place aganist 4 upwarddisplacement, said socket bracket being of heavy armored material toprevent access to the lock and breakage of the same.

SAM BARLICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 481,621 Light Aug. 30, 18921,024,617 Chambers Apr. 30, 1912 1,366,294 Styrbinski Jan. 18, 19211,607,121 Doran Nov. 16, 1926 1,620,474 Krick Mar. 8, 1927 1,632,733Hammer June 14, 1927 ;1,683,217 Ward Jr. Sept. 4, 1928 1,689,204 Hunteret a1. Oct. 30, 1928 1,709,363 Murphy Apr. 16, 1929 1,709,560 BlackmanApr. 16, 1929 1,760,961 Parker June 3, 1930 1,770,188 Auth July 8, 19301,955,462 Kaufman Apr. 17, 1934 1,957,271 Keil May 1, 1934 1,967,779Paca July 24, 1934 2,461,676 Budak Feb. 15, 1949

